Ohio Breweries by Rick Armon

Willoughby Brewing Co. took home the top prize Saturday in the Fat Head’s Heavyweight Brewer’s Brawl — an annual tasting that features high-alcohol beers. The brewpub won for its Nut Smasher, an imperial stout with peanut butter that clocks in at more than 11 percent alcohol by volume.

“It’s a real strong kicker,” brewmaster Rick Seibt said.

Beer drinkers voted Nut Smasher as the best out of about 40 beers. Willoughby received a boxing glove as its prize.

As part of a major rebranding, Maumee Bay Brewing Co. is dumping its longtime logo of a heron standing among reeds. The new logo -- which beer drinkers will start to see on packaging over the next few months -- features a blue shadow of the High Level Bridge in Toledo rising over the name of the brewery.

“We’re just going in a new direction,” said Shannon Mohr, sales and marketing manager.

Millersburg Brewing Co. is set to release the latest beer in its Imperial Series. Major Holmes will be available to Mug Club members on Friday (June 27) and to the general public on Tuesday (July 1).

The beer is 9.1 percent alcohol by volume with 85 IBUs. It features a blend of five different hops, including two experimental varieties from Hopsteiner, and aromas of mango, citrus and stone fruits, the brewery said in a news release.

"The Major finishes nearly dry, leaving the lingering fruitiness with a very slight bitter note letting you know it is really an imperial IPA," the brewery said.

Listermann Brewing Co. in Cincinnati is launching a new glassware series called "Local Artist Local Beer" on Friday. (June 27). The series involves the community's best artists designing beer glasses exclusively for sale at the brewery.

The first glass and first artist -- David Armacost -- are hitting the brewery tasting room at 6 p.m. Friday. Armacost will be there to talk about his work. The glasses will be sold for $5.

Listermann distribution manager and social media director Jason Brewer said he spotted Armacost's work at a University of Cincinnati show and was drawn to it. He described it as: "Off the beaten path. Unusual. Not for everyone ... His art fits our brand."

Armacost has done some work for the brewery in the past so he was a logical choice as the first artist in the series.

Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati will host a one-year anniversary party starting at noon Saturday (June 28). The party, which runs until closing and is free to attend, will include the release of the brewery's new Rookie Imperial IPA and the unveiling of a Crowler machine, which fills 32-ounce cans/growlers to go.

Rookie Imperial IPA is 8 percent alcohol by volume and made with Azzaca, Eldorado and Mandarina Bavaria hops.

There will be live bands performing, with The Almighty Get Down headlining. The brewery also will project a time lapse video of the brewery being built.

Warped Wing Brewing Co. in Dayton announced today (June 25) that it will release three of its beers in 16-ounce cans starting in mid-July. The beers --10 Ton Oatmeal Stout, Flyin' Rye IPA and Ermal's Belgian Style Cream Ale -- will be sold in four-packs.

Warped Wing said it's the first Dayton brewery to can its beers in 64 years.

"We're excited to be the first to revive cans since Miami Valley Brewing closed their doors in 1950," brewery President Joe Waizmann said in a prepared statement.

Breweriana at the show will include items on display and for sale ranging from pre-Prohibition to today's craft beer industry. There will be free cans and other breweriana items available for novice collectors. Appraisers and cash buyers also will attend.

-- The Brew Professor reports on new can designs approved for MadTree Brewing Co. in Cincinnati. The designs are for the Great Pumpcan and Thunder Snow. To read the full report and see the labels, click here.

-- Bell's Brewing Co. has announced its seasonal can lineup. Best Brown Ale, Winter White and Smitten Golden Rye Ale are coming in 16-ounce cans. To read the full news release on Brewbound, click here.

Numbers Brewing Co. has no aspirations to take the beer world by storm when it opens. Co-owner and brewer Jeramy DeBord says he first wants to make a splash and develop fans in his own backyard.

Numbers, a new nanobrewery, hopes to open in two or three months in Lisbon, a sleepy village in Columbiana County about a half-hour south of Youngstown.

“It’s a little bit exciting,” said DeBord, 37, who lives in Calcutta and works in information technology and software development. “We want to build a local customer base and strong base in Columbiana County and we can expand from there.”

The Lockview in Akron -- formerly the Lime Spider and a one-time hangout for the Black Keys -- has been named one of the 33 best beer bars in America by the website Thrillist.

It's up there with HopCat in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Mikkeller Bar in San Francisco. The Lockview is the only Ohio bar to make the cut. Here's the brief write-up:

"Outside of LeBron, Akron's pride and joy is this comfort food and booze Mecca, with 150 bottles, 12 taps, and grilled cheese sandwiches that kids would be weirded out by. The bottle list is split between local (Great Lakes Brewing from nearby Cleveland), national (Founders, plenty of Bell's), and international (Belgian beers like Corsendonk, plus five different Unibroue labels). Pair any of those beers with one of their six grilled cheeses, like the pepper jack and sautéed jalapeño-stuffed variety on a three-cheese miche bread. And it comes with blue cheese on the side, in case that wasn't enough cheese for you.:

The ninth annual Ohio Brew Week -- a celebration of Ohio-made beer in Athens -- is fast approaching. The Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau issued a news release today (June 23) breaking down the event, which runs July 11-19.

The breweries describe the beer as "a Belgian-y IPA brewed with German kolsch and French saison yeasts and hopped with a mix of German Northern Brewer, Czech Saaz and Australian Ella, for a truly international flair." It clocks in at 8.4 percent alcohol by volume.

Platform Beer, according to the publicity poster, is set to open July 4.

Sideswipe Brewing Co. -- which features some of the coolest and most artistic beer labels in Ohio -- is launching regular taproom hours. The Columbus brewery will be open from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays (starting June 26) and fans will be able to grab a pint or sampler, or buy bottles and growlers to go.

"We've been working on it for awhile, but we've never had regular taproom hours," owner and brewer Craig O'Herron said.

-- Fat Head's and Buckeye had beers advance in the seventh annual Global Warming Open. Fat Head's Zest for Breasts (an apparent replacement for Sunshine Daydream) and Bumble Berry, along with Buckeye Meh moved into the second round. Hoppin' Frog Turbo Shandy, Buckeye Sunstream and Willoughby Hazy Days TownHall Edition went out in the first round. To see the first round results, click here.

-- WCPO reports on a Cincinnati man's attempt to chug a 25-year-old can of HuDey. “[I was worried] that my brother would do whatever he could to make it worse. I also thought about whether my life insurance policy covered beer chugs,” Danny Spears said. To read the full story and watch a video of the attempt, click here.

Millersburg Brewing Co. took home the People’s Choice award for best brewery/beers and the judge’s award for best beer for its Doc’s Scotch Ale at the third annual Rhythm & Brews beer tasting in Canton.

Brewer Marty Lindon accepted both awards, saying he appreciated the confidence shown in the brewery.

A new brewery launching later this year in downtown Canton is in experienced hands. Brewmaster David Sutula, who’s setting up the Canton Brewing Co., has quite the beer resume.

In his younger days, he started a little newsletter that eventually grew into the Great Lakes Brewing News. He trained at the Siebel Institute of Technology and also trained in Ireland.

His industry background includes helping start the now-closed Diamondback and John Harvard’s breweries in Cleveland, and working at the Willoughby Brewing Co. in Willoughby and former Crooked River brewery in Cleveland. (Diamondback won a few medals at the Great American Beer Festival while he was there.)

Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. is outgrowing its building in Akron and is exploring the possibility of moving — even taking its production brewery and tasting room to neighboring Medina County or Cuyahoga County.

“I’d hate to leave this space at the end of the day, but I’ve got a business that’s growing and adding employees every month and I need to have the space to accommodate it all,” co-owner John Najeway said Thursday. “We’ve got to make a decision in the next couple of months.”

Pliny the Elder cannot be stopped. For the sixth year in a row, the double India pale ale from Russian River Brewing Co. in Santa Rosa, Calif., has been named the “Best Commercial Beer in America” by Zymurgy magazine.

Each year, the magazine allows American Homebrewers Association members to vote in an online poll for up to 20 of their favorite beers. This is the 12th year of the poll.

The winning beer also is made on a commercial scale by Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. and distributed through West Point and other locations. The first winner -- Bernese Barley Wine Ale made by brothers Nick and Justin Herstich of Akron -- went on to receive a "Double Gold" at this year's New York International Beer Competition in New York City.

Entries are due at West Point by Aug. 16. The winner -- and others who finish in the top 10 -- are announced during the grocer's Best of Ohio Craft Beer Tasting in October.

Wiedemann's Fine Beer will be featured this weekend (June 21-22) as part of the Findlay Market's OTR Biergarten Craft Beer Series, the Newport, Ky., brewery announced. Wiedemann Bock and its new Bohemian Summer Ale, a dry-hopped unfiltered weissbier, will be available on draft.

The Biergarten is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday with live music from the Kelly Thomas Trio.

-- The Brew Review Crew reports on the future Black Frog Brewery in Toledo. "In a quaint garage on a quiet street in a beautiful and serene subdivision on the outskirts of Toledo, Ohio, inconspicuously lies the home of Toledo’s newest craft brewery," the website says. "This is no ordinary brewery, however. This is the home of the first minority-operated brewery in the city – and quite possibly the state." To read the full story, click here.

-- The Yellow Springs News reports that Vitruvian Brewing Co. is getting closer to opening. “We plan on having a rigorous brewing schedule that opens up the opportunity for a diverse rotating tap line,” Shane Creepingbear says. To read the full story, click here.

Four Ohioans — including a husband and wife from Akron — were winners at the recent American Homebrewers Association’s National Homebrew Competition. The event coincided with the 36th annual National Homebrewers Conference in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The Ohio winners are their places are:

• Larry Reuter of Akron, first place in the smoke-flavored and wood-aged beer category. He’s a member of the Society of Akron Area Zymurgists. The beer was made with his wife Donna.

Sideswipe Brewing Co. in Columbus will release its first seasonal brew this week. Pixelated Sun is a hoppy wheat made with a large dose of Citra hops, the brewery reports.

The official description is: "Worshiped as a god in ancient times, its warm glow still warrants celebration in modern days. This light, straw-colored wheat beer is infused with Citra hops, giving it an invigorating, citrusy and hoppy finish. It’s perfect for saluting the solar deity above from the comfort of your lawn chair. Praise the sun."

The beer, which is 6 percent alcohol by volume, will be available in 22-ounce bottles and on draft at select locations around Columbus.

As odd as it sounds, I really don’t go to beer festivals anymore to drink beer. I do sample, of course. Why wouldn’t I? But I’d much rather chat with brewers and dig out nuggets of news to share.

With that in mind, I stopped by the second annual World Beer Festival in Cleveland on Saturday. The event, organized by All About Beer Magazine had a new venue this year along the west bank of the Cuyahoga River.

It was a gorgeous setting that utilized not only the Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, but also a room inside the FirstEnergy Powerhouse. It also provided a spectacular view of the downtown skyline from the river, and, at least in my opinion, was a much better location than last year’s spot along Lake Erie.

-- The Metropole at 21C Hotel will offer beer pairings from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The three-course tasting will feature Witbier, Tripel and Petit Saison. Founder Matthew Barbee will attend the Wednesday pairing to talk about the beers. Tickets are $55.

-- La Poste Eatery will host a five-course beer pairing with Rockmill at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets are $65 and include the meal, beer, tax and tip. Seating is limited. Call 513-281-3663 for reservations.

Listermann Brewing Co. will hold a "6 Year Anniversary and Customer Appreciation Party" starting at 1 p.m. June 21. This month marks the sixth anniversary since owner Dan Listermann decided to starting brewing at his homebrew supply shop in Cincinnati.

The brewery has come a long way since those early, and now boasts a tasting room, hosts annual festivals highlighting Cincinnati beers and offers the high gravity Triple Digit brand.

While the party may start at 1 p.m., the tasting room will open at 10 a.m. with a draft lineup that includes favorites Rummy and Death by Chickow! Starting at 1 p.m., Dino's Gorilla Grill will offer free food to 100 people (a drink purchase is required) and will remain on site to sell burgers and hot dogs.

The brewery created an India pale ale and made five different versions using a single, different hop. That gives beer drinkers an opportunity to taste the variations among Mosaic, East Kent Goldings, Hallertau Mittelfrueh, Simcoe and Zeus hops. The beers are available in a limited edition 12-pack.

“Drinkers looking for a unique craft beer experience can create a Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA Deconstructed tasting flight, sampling each brew in the pack to experience the different, nuanced hop profiles on their own,” the brewery said in a news release.

The East Park Restaurant in Ravenna will hold a beer tasting and food pairing at 7 p.m. June 21. The event -- a first for the restaurant -- will feature five beers: Summit Pilsner, Goose Island 312, Elevator Heiferweizen, Elevator Dark Horse Ale and Goose Island IPA.

They will be paired with homemade onion rings, pretzel sticks, burger sliders, fried chicken and a slice of Troyer's pie. The restaurant also will hold a trivia contest about the beers, with winners receiving T-shirts, bottle openers and glasses.

-- The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports on how Great Lakes Brewing Co. is being squeezed in the Ohio City neighborhood. "At some point, the beer will have to spill onto nearby property," author Michelle Jarboe McFee writes. "Or the company will need to expand to other sites, farther afield from its landlocked headquarters." To read the full story, click here.

-- The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports on the BottleHouse Brewery in Cleveland Heights expanding into mead. "We are the first mead hall in Northeast Ohio," co-owner Brian Benchek says. "That means not only do we make mead on site, but customers can enjoy a glass in our tasting room as well." To read the full story, click here.

BeerAdvocate magazine this month features a travel write-up on Columbus. Author Bill Babbitt describes how Central Ohio was once dominated by the local Anheuser-Busch brewery.

"In fact, only two craft breweries in the city date back more than 20 years: the Columbus Brewing Company (1988) and Barley's Brewing Company (1992)," he writes. "Over the last five years, however, more than 20 breweries have opened in Central Ohio, and Columbus is at the heart of the state's craft beer boom."

Babbitt also offers up many recommendations on where to grab a beer, including Bodega, Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus, and Barley's.

Starting at 1 p.m., the brewery and brew-on-premise operation will offer hourly tours of the grain room, production brewery, beer and wine fermenting areas, and bottling and kegging areas. Brewers and workers will talk about the science, art and history of beer and wine.

The cost for the tour is $3. Or it's free for two people with if you spend $25 or more in the gift shop, tasting room or restaurant.

The magazine, which organized the beer festival, and Great Lakes made the beer special for the event, which is Saturday. (June 14). It will be available at both the All About Beer Magazine and Great Lakes booths.

Great Lakes head brewer Luke Purcell will attend the unveiling and talk about the beer. All About Beer Magazine will offer giveaways and sell discounted tickets.

-- The Dayton Daily News reports that the Carillon Brewing Co. plans to open in August. "The brewery will use historic tools and techniques that date back to 1850, and will feature costumed interpreters who will demonstrate the historic processes used to produce beer, wine, cider, and cheese in the Dayton area and elsewhere in the 19th century," author Mark Fisher writes. To read the full story, click here.

-- The Dayton Daily News reports on a new brewery, Crafted Pints Brewing Co., planned for Warren County. “We have finalized recipes for several stouts, IPAs, pale ales, brown ales, saisons and wheat beers,” co-owner and brewer Jerrod Fisher says. “We’ll have four to six beers available year-round, and we’ll mix others in and out as seasonal and limited releases.” To read the full story, click here.

The Bier Markt in Cleveland will host a special tapping of Chimay Premiere, also known as Chimay Red, at 6 p.m. Wednesday. (June 11) The event will include a visit from brand ambassadorLuc "Bobo" Van Mechelen.

The Bier Markt is one of three locations in the state to be offering the beer on draft, assistant general manager Jeff Draeger said in an email. "This has never been tapped in America, and we are very excited to be chosen to do so," he said.

In addition to Chimay Premiere, Chimay White also will be available on draft. Chimay Red, White and Blue will be available in bottles, as well.

Jackie O’s brewer Brad Clark is one of the most creative and prolific brewers in Ohio. That’s one of the reasons craft beer drinkers visit Athens — to find out what new, and often innovative, brew is being served at the brewpub.

But now with its beer available in cans in many Ohio markets and some fan favorites like Dark Apparition and Oil of Aphrodite hitting stores in 375ml bottles thanks to a new production brewery, will there be less of a reason to visit the actual brewery?

Hoppin' Frog Brewery in Akron is expanding its taproom hours during the week. The Tasting Room will now be open at 3 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, owner/brewer Fred Karm said today (June 9) in an email.

"This is mainly because we have a large parking lot in the back, and now we have designated the front parking lot as 'Employees Only'," he wrote. "This allows us to eliminate the guests parking in the front lot, which could get in the way of the other businesses, and therefore kept us from opening during business hours. Now with guests not parking in the front lot, we can get the party started earlier every day!"

Time to toot my own horn. Don't worry, this will be short. The Ohio Breweries Beer Blog won second place last week from The Press Club of Cleveland, which recognizes great journalism by newspaper, television and radio reporters each year.

The judges wrote: "A terrific combination of original content and aggregated material."

-- The Toledo Blade reports on the rise of taprooms in Ohio. "Another reason the tasting room has become so popular is the short distance between keg and customer," author Bob Cunningham writes. "Not only does that result in a freshness that’s hard to duplicate at proper pubs and restaurants, but instantaneous feedback is a brewer’s best friend." To read the full story, click here.

-- The Brew Professor, which ran a contest earlier this year to find out the ideal Cincinnati six-pack, is holding a party to celebrate the top 12 beers. The party is Saturday (June 14) at the Brass Tap. "After thinking about it, I figured why stop at a six pack when we can open it up and bring in the top twelve beers!" Mike Stuart writes. To read the full post and all the details, click here.

"The agreement with House of LaRose is an exciting opportunity for DESTIHL beers to be available in another great craft beer market," DESTIHL founder, brewmaster and Chief Executive Matt Potts said in a prepared statement. “It also allows us to work alongside a well-respected, family-operated distribution partner that has demonstrated enormous business savvy, infrastructure and beer knowledge as well as an immense and steadfast passion for our brewery’s wide array of unique beers."

Ohio legislators are fixing a quirk in the state law that has prevented Rust Belt Brewing Co. in Youngstown from selling growlers at its tasting room.

The Mid-Biennium Review budget bill approved by both the state House and Senate includes a provision that will allow Rust Belt — which operates a tasting room at a separate location from its production brewery — to sell its beer in growlers to-go at its Tap House.

Participating breweries are: Millersburg, Great Lakes, Lager Heads and The Brew Kettle. Esber Beverage, Anheuser-Busch Sales of Canton and Heidelberg Distributing Co. also will be serving beers from their portfolios.

“The Brew Kettle is very excited to join the group of craft brewers who support the annual Rhythm and Brews event to benefit The Arc of Ohio-Stark County,” The Brew Kettle Executive Vice President Mark Bevenour said in a prepared statement. “We believe fully in the mission of The Arc and their work to support individuals with developmental disabilities. Having grown up in the Stark County area, it is a privilege for me and our organization to be able to give back to the community and be a part of such a wonderful event.”

-- The Better Beer Authority has a Brew &A with Aaron Rice, the nephew of Lance Rice, the autistic man from Vermilion whose lifelong dream was to visit breweries and write a beer book. Aaron is chronicling the journey and plans to turn it into a movie. "Lance was thrilled to begin his journey," he says. "Like a kid waiting for Christmas, he counted down until the day we left – Lance's Brewery Tour was his lifelong dream and it was coming true. He knew challenges were coming but those didn't translate into fears until we were face-to-face with his phobias." To read the full Q&A, click here.

-- The Salt Lake Tribune reports on beer contributing more than $1 billion to the Utah economy. "Most people would be surprised that the beer industry has such a direct economic impact on the state," Peter Cole, co-founder of Squatters Brew Pub in Salt Lake City, says. "I think about all the vendors we use. There are loads of companies on the list and we try to find local suppliers." To read the full story, click here.

The Akron Zoo is ramping up its Brew at the Zoo beer tastings this year. The events -- there are four of them throughout the year -- will each feature a different theme, with the first one focusing on the 1980s. The zoo also is offering a discounted Brew Pass this year that allows people to get into all the tastings.

The first Brew at the Zoo is set for 6 to 9 p.m. June 11 and will include music by the band Big 80's. The participating breweries are: Thirsty Dog, Ohio, Elevator, Great Lakes, Black Box, The Brew Kettle, Jackie O’s, Lager Heads, Revolution and Stone. Tramonte Distributing also is attending.

Several of the breweries will offer their summer ales, the zoo said. The Beachcomber and Nosh Box food trucks will offer food at each event for purchase, and Max & Erma's will provide free samples of its menu.

The World of Beer Easton has announced the beer lineup for its second annual Craft Brew Fest, set for 7 to 11 p.m. June 14.

The event will feature live music from Ekoostic Hookah, Anglea Perley and the Howlin Moons, and The Lovebenders with special guest Jerrod Tinsley. Tickets are $45 and include 20 five-ounce drink tokens. For more details or to buy tickets, click here.

The two-day Valley Vineyards Wine & Beer Festival -- subtitled "A Taste of Warren County" -- is Friday and Saturday. (June 6-7) The Morrow winery, which also serves as the home of Cellar Dweller Brewery, is celebrating its 44th anniversary this year.

The event features wine, beer, food and live music. The winery-brewery will offer tours and educational events. There also will be balloon rides. The festival runs 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.

Homebrewing continues to grow as a hobby. The fifth annual Homebrew Supply Shop Survey, conducted by the American Homebrewers Association, found that gross revenue at shops across the country increased by an average of 10 percent last year.

The association estimates that there are 1.2 million homebrewers in the U.S.

It seems counter-intuitive that the hobby would be on the rise. The craft beer industry is exploding and there seems to be a brewery — or two — in every community. You also can walk into any bar, restaurant and grocery store and find a wide-ranging selection of craft beers.